The Tremens
by Caladbolg777
Summary: AU. When Haymitch, with Effie, gets locked out of his home and away from his precious alcohol, he immediately begins to suffer severe withdrawal. Will Effie be able to help him survive and will their relationship grow or completely dissipate? Rated for some coarse language. Dedicated to RuetheDay, Wonderlands, and Dewdrops and Crowns. Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays!


'This can't be happening,' Haymitch growled to himself as he bristled at the front door to his own home. The elegant mahogany blockaded his escapes from the dregs of sorrow and he breathed heavily at the door.

Effie Trinket stood a few steps behind the nearly nervous wreck of a home owner as she inspected her birthday candle nails. Gazing up, she blinked at the orange, darkening sky. In a sense she was happy that Peeta and Katniss had aided her request for her own birthday in the upcoming week. Effie sighed as her sights directed to the shanty-town of a district and beyond to the somewhat efficient electrified border.

Blinking, Effie recalled the exact directions to her agreed upon new home for the following six days. 'Sure,' she told herself, 'It will be nice to see Haymitch sober since he will hopefully learn more manners. I suppose this sacrifice of comfort for a week will help him. I still don't see how these _people _can't have manners.'

"GODDAMNIT KATNISS!" Haymitch roared. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Effie snapped to attention. 'Katniss? Did she…why would she do that?'

The hatred he bore down on the door was palpable. She blinked, "Haymitch…"

He swiveled straight to her with narrowed eyes and a grim disposition.

A pause. "Haymitch, what happened?"

"Isn't it obvious or are you really that stupid? That bitch locked me out she left on the Victory Tour with Peeta!"

Effie huffed and placed her hands on her waist, "I just asked you a question. You don't have to be rude. But then again you never have manners!"

Haymitch's eyebrow twitched, "Manners! Seriously? I'm locked out of my own home and away from my precious, precious booze and all you can think about is manners?"

"Yes! I would have thought you'd have more manners when you were sober."

Haymitch breathed in and out deeply a few times, and the redness from his face lessened a tinge, "Look. I drink for a reason; not that that matters to Capitol assholes like you. You…_animals, _who are incapable of understanding anything deeper than the superficial – You know that's why you're living in that shack right?"

"Yes I do!" Effie puffed. She remembered quite clearly.

"Tell me."

"Katniss, why must you keep eating with your hands? Don't you have any manners?"

Katniss continued eating dinner on the train back to District 12, surrounded by Haymitch, Cinna, Portia, and the stylists. Peeta was nowhere to be found.

"Did you hear me Katniss?" Effie asked after a minute of silence. "It is good manners to respond when someone older than you asks a question."

Katniss looked up, clearly not in the mood to converse. The thought barely registered in Effie's mind that Katniss' mood and Peeta's absence had a connection, but much like tasty snacks at the many parties Effie attended as an escort during the Games, the thought disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Haymitch sighed across from her. "Let's have a talk sweetheart."

Motioning for her to get up, he left the car. Effie followed cautiously.

Haymitch stumbled his way over to a couch two train cars away and fell into the seat. Effie calmly and perfectly sat across from him – noting the overly clinical white and gray landscape of the entertainment room.

Haymitch burped much to Effie's continuous disgust. "Listen sweetheart, you're getting crazy with the manners crap."

"What?"

"You're obnoxious with your manners and Katniss is sick of it. You know I've hated it ever since we met."

"Why I never! That girl needs to know her place."

"No, you need to get your damn head screwed on straight! Do you know how many times you have called people out on their manners? Do you know how many times you called Katniss out on it?"

"I only do that because she needs them. You're a lost cause."

"Don't you get it? She hates you for all of your bullshit manners talk. She has perfect manners, I've seen them."

"You're constantly drunk. You have no frame of reference Haymitch," Effie fixed her inch-astray wig to perfection once again.

"I have every frame of reference I need to know that she eats like a pig just to piss you off."

Effie paused. Truly curious she asked, "Why is that?"

Haymitch sat up after putting a hand to his chin. He then shook his head, "You'd never understand."

"Never understand what?"

Haymitch relaxed his gaze upon her, "What it's like to be presented with a full meal for the first time in your life."

"Don't be preposterous Haymitch, of course I understand that. I've eaten them before."

He sat up sternly, " Let me say it in plain English_, sweetheart_. You. Have. No. Idea."

Effie glared, "I'm telling you. Yes I do. I can prove it to you."

Haymitch sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He licked his lips in preparation and exhaled, "You want to prove it?"

Effie nodded. "I can prove it easily. We just had dinner you know."

"Not good enough. Not even close."

"What is good enough for you on your pedestal oh so great judge?"

"Grow up in District 12."

"That's unfair and you know it."

"Like I said you'd never understand."

Effie pondered for a moment, "What if…what if I lived in District 12 for a while? A week? What about then."

"Pssh!" Haymitch responded. "Are you kidding me? Knock yourself out sweetheart. At least you'll learn a thing or two about your manners bullshit."

"They are very important rules for behavior!"

"They're bullshit!"

"How can you say that?"

"Because people in District 12 have more important things to worry about. Like not dying! Can you get that through your thick skull?"

"Just because there isn't much to eat is no excuse for bad manners!"

"Really! You really believe that!" Haymitch shouted, but lowered his voice. "Okay. I'll make a deal with you Trinket. You go live in the Seam for a month when we get to District 12 and then tell me how important your _manners_ are after."

"Only if you stay sober for a month! Not a drop of alcohol and we have a deal!"

Haymitch glared at her, his blood boiling, "You stay away from my alcohol."

"You want to teach me a lesson, so why can't I teach you one?"

"What the hell do you think you can teach me in that tiny brain of yours? Manners? It's like you said. I'm a lost cause."

"You'll be a better person without the alcohol. And you won't be an embarrassment to the Capitol."

"You mean an embarrassment to you. Cut the crap. This is only about you and you know it; anything so you can look better and get the hell out of twelve. I know how you think."

"You don't know me Haymitch. I'll prove it to you. You want to play gamemaker? Fine! I'll do your stupid challenge and you can keep your damn alcohol! Just try to pay attention and don't die beforehand!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Haymitch returned with equal fury. He would never admit it, but he also held her a little higher in his respects.

"You forgot the part where you talked to Katniss about making me follow up in the deal."

Effie shook her head, "I didn't talk to Katniss at all. She must have heard us shouting."

"We weren't shouting."

Effie snorted politely, "You must have been more drunk than I thought you were. The rooms were echoing because of us. Cinna told me so later."

Haymitch shrugged. "Whatever. That's not the point. She's still dead when she comes back."

"I still can't believe you convinced them to do the Victory Tour alone. We're supposed to be there."

"Hey you're the one who accepted the challenge…Damnit I need a drink."

"Well get used to not having one."

Haymitch eyed her evenly and yet Effie twitched with vast discomfort. His Seam eyes oppressively bore into hers, "Get used to sleeping with a knife in your hand. I did."

"Why would I need a knife? To protect myself from criminals?"

Haymitch shook his head but kept his baleful stare, "Keep it in case I go crazy."

"Go crazy? But…you'll be sober…"

"There's a reason why victors do some sort of drugs after they win." He pulled a knife out of his boot and offered it to Effie. "It's to drown out the memories. Sometimes they're so real that you relive them. If that happens, defend yourself."

"You're going to attack me?"

"Not on purpose, but it could happen. You'll never understand that either. The memories, every murder, every death you witness, every smell, all of the pain, all of the Games, it comes back every night. Before you say anything, this is something you should never understand."

"Why not?"

"Because something like the Games will permanently fuck up the rest of your life. Katniss and Peeta will never have a normal life. Not like yours. Never."

Effie processed this information as best she could as Haymitch led her down to the Seam.

They pair walked silently with just the ground muffling beneath their feet and the sun hiding from them. After about ten minutes Effie quietly asked, "Do you know where you're going?"

Haymitch nodded, "My old house. Before I won. It's the only place I know for sure that will be abandoned."

"But…" Effie pondered, "Don't you have family?"

Haymitch kept his watering eyes out of Effie's vision as he led her on in uncomfortable silence.

Effie scrunched her nose in disgust behind Haymitch's back.

"It's not much, but you're welcome to stay."

Effie blinked at Haymitch's tone. She couldn't decipher what exactly was wrong with it, but something was off. Overlooking the dust laden home, with small holes in the walls and a kitchen in disrepair, Effie wondered just how many years ago his childhood home had truly been abandoned. It would make sense if Haymitch's family moved in with him after he had won the games, but Effie recalled never meeting any family members. 'Plus,' she thought wryly, 'This place is actually cleaner.'

A creaking of the front door alerted her attention. Turning around Effie watched the door shut in her face. Opening it she saw a slowly retreating man with a hunched disposition. "Haymitch," she called, "Where are you going?"

"To find alcohol," he responded without turning to her. He kept walking. Effie followed, "Haymitch, why are you looking for more alcohol?"

Haymitch didn't answer her.

Effie shook her head, "Okay that wasn't the best of questions. Why do you want to get drunk again?"

"Just go back to the house. Look for some food."

Effie caught up with him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Why do you want to-"

Haymitch rounded on her with his teeth bared, "I said go back to the house!"

Effie put a hand to her mouth and her eyes widened a bit. It was not so much the anger or the yelling that startled the escort, but it was indeed his control and the scant remainder of it over his own behaviors. Effie had thought she had seen him without inhibitions, usually with alcohol's guiding hand, many times, but this was an entirely new Haymitch Abernathy. The thought of his potential violence towards anything surrounding him convinced Effie to demurely agree and back away from him slowly.

She headed back to the shack of a home and shivered at the increasingly cold night. Concern danced with the chills up and down her spine. Slowing her step, her stomach spoke into the night air. The escort blushed and casually gazed around for any people who heard her lapse into bad manners. Thankfully no one was present, but the sight of the rundown village deadening to blue as the moon slowly rose gave her pause.

'It's so different,' she sadly said to herself, 'The Capitol has so much more color and…life to it. Like it's always someone's birthday…well…actually it is, but yeah. Life is there. No wonder these people are always miserable during the reapings, they need more life. If the Capitol has a lot of life in it then how come these people never want to-'

A scream billowed through the empty village. Creaks and muffled shutters closed in the distance. Effie paid the villagers' efforts of seclusion no mind. 'That sounded like Haymitch…'

Effie hesitated.

Another scream.

She bit her lip and knit her eyebrows.

Footsteps pounded from behind the escort, and before she could see the owner rushing her, wind ruffled her clothing and caressed her iced face. Effie blinked as a blur of a child sprinted at full speed towards the screams.

Effie took a step. Heavier footsteps this time swept by with a woman yelling "Prim! Wait!"

Another scream rippled through the air. It was closer. 'That was Haymitch for sure…that little girl-'

Effie gasped and ran to the best of her ability after the pair.

Icy wind whipped her eyes to tears as she barely kept up with the other woman. Town in dim light rushed past her blurry edged vision until the girl appeared out of nowhere.

Looking up at a second too late the girl squeaked and raised her elbows in defense as Effie collided. The pair met the ground face first as they both groaned and rolled to their sides.

Effie muffled out a sorry between pants as the woman rushed over. The escort got to her hands and knees and inspected the sweat laden dirt before her. She swallowed at the sight of dirt coating her and at the, hopefully, uninjured girl. "I'm…sorry…about that."

The girl, Prim, got up and rubbed the side of her head. She shook it at the escort in response. In the dim orange of a scant street light, Effie noticed the girl was an almost perfect reproduction of her mother. The mother panted as well and gazed at Effie coolly, "Are you okay Miss Trinket?"

Effie blinked. "You know me?"

The mother nodded slowly.

"That was a stupid question, wasn't it?"

A scream broke the silence.

Both mother and daughter turned their heads and seemed to immediately pinpoint, with Katniss level accuracy, the source of the scream. Effie looked in the same direction but saw nothing out of the ordinary bleakness of District 12.

Two houses lay next to each other basking in each other's shadows and despair off in the distance. A small mix of cobblestone, dirt, and what Effie hoped wasn't manure and vomit filled a small courtyard before them. An alley of nothingness lay between the homes, and orange lamps illuminated nothing useful while the majority of District 12 that surrounded them was cast in darkness. Peacekeepers where nowhere to be found, and Effie imagined they would have simply watched had they been present. 'Fitting,' came to Effie's mind.

"Prim stay behind me a little," the older woman whispered. "Approach him nice and slow. He could be dangerous."

Effie snapped to attention, "Where is he?"

The woman briefly glanced at Effie, and whispered, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to be quiet and stay there Miss Trinket. He's in the alley up ahead and we don't want to scare him."

Effie peered into the darkness, mildly miffed at the woman's instructions and yet impressed with her manners. 'Maybe they're not all savages. Manners can be salvaged here. I wish Katniss would understand how…'

"Maysilee?" A clearly shaken Haymitch called out from the void.

The woman froze. Her shoulders sagged and Effie put a finger to her mouth as she glanced at the little girl a few paces behind. 'Who is Maysilee?'

The woman sighed, "No Haymitch, it's me. Remember me from when we went to school?"

"Everdeen?"

She nodded. Effie kept still as asked.

"Yes."

"Can you help me?"

"Come into the light please. You'll be able to see clearer."

"Can't!" He yelped. A whoosh of air and a clang of metal followed panting from the black. "Where are you! SNOW!" He shouted with a hitch in his voice, "What'd you do to my-family?! Mother-fucker! I fuckin' HATE YOU!-ah-ah-ha" he cried.

He screamed again. Bitter rage, anger, and tears laced his voice as he shouted, "-fucking ruined my life!"

Effie gasped. 'What happened to him?'

"Haymitch," the mother wiped a tear away, "Haymitch, I'm coming towards you. I'm here to help. No one else is here except for me, my daughter Primrose, and Miss Trinket." She slowly took a step, and another, to deaf ears. Haymitch merely cried, nearly incoherently mumbling depression and hatred.

Effie could only pick up trace amounts of regret over the name Maysilee.

The little girl followed dutifully, if a little shaken as well. Effie walked forward a little more, but then could only stop and stare as the woman gently disappeared into the darkness. She returned a moment later, with a visibly distraught and shaking Haymitch into the light.

"Shh, it's okay," Miss Everdeen whispered kindly. Tears rolled down his face as he panted and fidgeted endlessly. A blast of a foul stench assaulted Effie's nose and she couldn't but cough in disgust.

"Effie?"

She looked up at him with her hand covering her mouth, "Haymitch. It's me. What happened to you?"

Prim calmly walked to the confused escort and said, quite sadly, "He's suffering from delirium tremens."

Effie blinked, "Erm…come again dear?" Mentally she berated herself for her bad display of manners in the pause, but it appeared as if she was the only individual who truly cared at the moment.

"Delirium tremens." Prim continued. "They happen when people go through serious alcohol withdrawal. The patient suffers from shaking, visual hallucinations, high blood pressure, and many other things. I don't remember them all."

"W-what can we do?"

The mother kept coaxing him with sweet nothings as Haymitch had his arms wrapped around himself as he rocked back and forth on the dirt. His grip, Effie noticed, severely lack in strength. He talked to the mother as if she truly were that Maysilee person. The mother didn't deny his thoughts or tell the truth. 'Why?'

"I…" Prim started, and then looked down, "I don't know." She sniffed and then swallowed, "I've never seen it before."

Effie's eyebrow rose at the girl, "Are you supposed to know?"

"Miss Trinket," Miss Everdeen said quietly, "Do you have a home where we can take him?"

"Huh?" Effie blinked back to the woman's patient, yet serious eyes. "Sorry could you please repeat the question?"

In between heavy pants Haymitch shakily breathed out, "Take us to the damn house. Idiot."

"Although I am highly inclined to correct your abysmal manners Haymitch Abernathy, - after all who insults a lady in such a way? – I will not this time. I'm glad you are okay."

Prim and her mother shared a quick look. The little girl looked up to the escort, "He isn't okay yet. We need to get him into an area with a lot of light."

"How-how do you know so much?"

Prim blushed a little and looked down shyly, "Mom told me about this. I never met a patient with actual Delirium Tremens though."

Haymitch twitched edgily and shouted out, "Goddamnit just do what-"

The group froze with Haymitch swallowing, snarling, and reaching for his knife. "SNOW!" He raged to Effie, "DIE!" Clambering to his feet with small pulses shooting through his organic circuitry, Haymitch rushed a catatonic Effie.

Tackling the escort to the ground they rolled twice with Haymitch landing on top. Effie screamed with pure fear leaking from her eyes as Haymitch raised his knife. She scrunched her eyes.

A whoosh and a thud barely registered through Effie as Haymitch got lighter. Clarity followed the noises in stride in Effie's mind and through damp vision Effie saw a mound of girl on Haymitch's forearm. With him pinned to ground, shaking violently, Prim carefully pried the knife from his unflinching grip.

Effie panted and rapidly blinked in dryness.

"Sweet…heart. You-" Haymitch swallowed, "You alright?"

Effie nodded.

"Mr. Abernathy," Prim regarded him, "Can I have the knife?"

"No."

Effie sat up slowly, "Haymtch. Please give her the knife…"A fluorescent and multicolored light bulb, the latest trend in Capitol interior design, flashed in Effie's mind. Looking over to the drab-clothed and silent Mrs. Everdeen, Effie huffed, "Why didn't you do anything?"

Prim paused as did Haymitch. The other woman stared back listlessly in response. "Well?" Effie glared, "What kind of mother are you? Letting your daughter tackle down a knife wielding lunatic! You should be ashamed!"

"Leave it Effie." Haymitch growled back. "She's got enough…and don't call me a knife wielding lunatic! It's bad manners after all!"

Effie's voice caught in her throat to her embarrassment. Prim stifled a giggle as she let go of his arm.

Effie rounded on the slowly recovering man, "You see what you make me do Haymtich? Your manners are so awful it is contagious."

Prim helped Haymitch to his feet and gave him a support foundation. Haymitch shut his eyes and shook his head, "You've got issues sweetheart."

"I do not! Besides who is the one that just tried to stab-"

"Miss Trinket."

"What?" Effie glared at Prim.

"He didn't mean to stab you. He thought you were President Snow."

"I know that." The escort glared back. "I just…"

"Effie. Shut the hell up and quit wasting our time. I need treatment, and crazy as it sounds better lighting is part of the treatment, and you're not freaking helping. Seriously go off and starve and be ignorant somewhere else. You've been selfish enough as it is. Just leave us alone."

"But I…"

"Leave!" Haymitch shouted at her, "People die from this shit and I'm going to do whatever it takes to live through this crap. Now get out the hell out of my sight and my life and don't come back until you get a fucking brain!"

Effie bit her lips, lowered her eyes, and slowly turned around. With her head slumped and her wig slightly askew, she mechanically blended in with the darkness.


End file.
